By Josh Horwood.
Directed by Bennett Miller, 129mins, out on 9th January 2015
Foxcatcher tells the story of eccentric millionaire John du Pont and his relationship with world champion and Olympic gold medallist wrestlers the Schultz brothers. Dave (played by Mark Ruffalo) is the older brother adored by the wrestling community whilst Mark (played by Channing Tatum) is often side-lined and forgotten. Step in the creepy millionaire recluse John du Pont (in an eye opening turn from Steve Carell) who offers to fund Mark’s position and set up a wrestling academy to not only make America great again but also win the fight against communism. The film is based on true events.
This is a remarkably stark film considering the charisma of its leads: Channing Tatum (usually super confident) and Steve Carell (usually the most comfortable screen presence) contribute to this chilly distanced examination of the John du Pont / Foxcatcher story. Bennett Miller’s previous films, Capote and Moneyball, featured countless scenes of people sat in rooms talking and this is no different. The film is deliberately slowly paced and works brilliantly as a methodical character study, allowing Tatum, Carell and Ruffalo to shine as their differing ideologies, self obsessions and insecurities clash.
The filmmakers have talked previously about deliberately removing sensational scenes (such as a tense two day standoff at Du Pont’s estate) so don’t come into this film expecting any of that. Miller’s direction allows the characters to reveal themselves in a quiet and nuanced way. Greig Fraser’s photography shows Du Pont’s estate as an isolated fortress, particularly when blanketed with snow. There is a brutal grace to how the wrestling sequences are mounted; it almost looks like ballet, delicate and smooth. It really reminded me of the boxing scenes in Jules Dassin’s 1950 classic Night and the City.
The film boils down to a slow burn character drama that had me absolutely hooked. Carell cuts such a distinctive figure that he makes the hair on the back of the neck stand up. It is a shame that the Academy has refused to recognise Tatum as he carries just as much of the film’s weight as the two other leads.
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